Her
by HeythereDeliah
Summary: Cally's art career takes her to London. She knew the move would change her life forever, but meeting Dan was an unexpected surprise.
1. Chapter 1

It would be a flat out lie to say I wasn't nervous. I was leaving the only country I was familiar with. Granted, seeing as I had never been outside of the US, I'd never had any opportunity's to change this fact. That is, until now. I had a one way ticket to London with no intention of buying a return ticket any time soon.

When it came down to it however, I knew I wouldn't miss the dullness of suburban America. I was looking forward to the alien hum of the city, being the one with an accent, the shake of my nerves as I try to make my way down uninvestigated streets to simply stumble upon an exotic antique shop, a quaint tea nook, or an ancient candy store with sweets I'm too young to look back on nostalgically.

Yes, I knew was creating an unrealistically romantic image in my head. I was young and bright eyed, so I allowed myself the daydreams. They seemed appropriate.

I would be rooming with an old friend of mine from high school, Alex. We'd known each other since elementary school, and while we had our differences, our equally creative brains gave us more than enough overlap to be completely comfortable with each other. Her humor is witty and intelligent while mine is blunt and sarcastic, but we are both fluent in irony. We spent a lot of our summers together in thrift shops saying things like "This shirt is awful. I must have it." I know what you're asking. Yes, we did wear the crazy clothes we bought, but with her willowy frame and my eye for color, we always managed to look grungy and hipster rather than clueless. According to her facebook photos, her tastes haven't changed much over the years. Now that I think about it, mine haven't either.

She welcomed me with a big hug at the airport when I arrived in my new city, my new life. Using her height to her advantage, she playfully messed up my shaggy pixie cut. "It's great to see you Cal!" she said, her enthusiasm genuine. My given name is Cally, so I feel a rush of memories as she calls me by my old nickname.

After highschool, I headed to college for fine arts while she skipped to whole ordeal to move as far away from our hicksville hometown as possible. Through what she claims to be luck, but what I am convinced is talent, she now has a successful pottery studio in London. She has gained popularity on the internet as well with youtube. I've seen her humorous vlogs and amusing tutorials, and I'm not surprised. You'd have to be crazy not to love her bubbly and laid back personality.

On the way to our new apartment, I marveled at her voice. Her years in London had given her voice an accent that was somewhere in the middle of American and British. I had noticed this in her videos of course, but it sounded much lovelier in person.

I found myself thinking about how I wouldn't be here, here referring to London, if it wasn't for her. My paintings had done ok in the states. I worked in a music store to supplement my income, but I made enough to get by. One day, Alex suggested I send some of my paintings and prints to her to display in her studio. They sold like mad. I was at a loss for words when she told me several art critics were already asking to meet me. I made the decision to move almost overnight. I knew the decision would be life changing, and I was more than happy to make it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is my new flatmate!" said Alex, pointing a camera at me as I unpacked boxes in my new room. I smiled and waved at the camera. "Hi Alex's viewers, I look forward to reading your creepy fan fictions." "Hazzah!" exclaimed Alex, pointing the camera back at herself. "The Cally has spoken. Get on it, you little creepers." She ended with a wink at the camera, then set it away to help me unpack.

After a few minutes of organizing, Alex broke the silence. "When we head to the studio to set up your stuff, I have a collab meeting me there for a video. I hope you don't mind."

"Totally fine," I said wholeheartedly. I was looking forward to setting up my painting space alone. Alex's studio was plenty big for the both of us, so when we decided to become roommates, we thought we might as well become studio partners as well. Splitting the rent for both the apartment and studio freed up extra cash for both of us.

When I stepped into the studio for the first time, I peered over the massive box of paints I was carrying and immediately felt at home. Alex's pottery and my paintings that were already on display lived together in perfect harmony. The storefront of the studio had plush carpet, incense burning in the corner, and shelves full of art. Alex led me through a door to the back of the studio. This is where the magic happened. The space was large with concrete floors. She had taken it upon herself to install a curtain that splits the room in half to give us both privacy as we work. I was excited to see a rug with an old sofa and a hot water dispenser for tea in one of the corners. The floor showed evidence of past artists who worked in this space with paints and dyes long since dried into the concrete. A thick layer of clay dust covered Alex's side. A small smile found its way onto my face as I thought about leaving my own mark on this room.

(Dan's POV)

Her paintings left a mark on me before I even met her. Phil and I arrived at Alex's studio and admired the art in the shop while Alex set up the camera. Cally's paintings pulled me in. Something about the crazy colors and the lack of symmetry made them so wrong, they were right. Faces were present in a lot of her work. They had so much life to them.

"Dan," called Phil, breaking me out of my art induced trance. "Alex is ready to film." If Alex wasn't such a good friend, we never would have agreed to the collab she set up. By the end of filming, Phil and I each had a full face of makeup. We were laughing as we passed the hand mirror back and forth to look at ourselves.

The backroom door swung open and a girl emerged. "Hey Alex, where should I put my tea ba-," she said before stopping mid sentence when she saw Phil and I. I expected her to laugh, but she just said "Lookin' good," and gave us a thumbs up with a deadpan expression.

Alex stood up to go stand by her. "This is Cally, my new roommate I was telling you guys about." Cally's face morphed from sarcastic to a genuine smile as she walked toward us. "You must be Dan and Phil," she said, formally shaking our hands. It didn't to quite fit the situation, seeing as we were in an eccentric art studio with our faces covered in drag queen style makeup. "Big fan of your work."

"Yours as well," I said, referring to her paintings. Phil nodded in agreement. "Nice hair," said Phil, making me roll my eyes. It wasn't that her hair wasn't nice. Her short black pixie cut looked great on her. She had the kind of face that doesn't need long hair to frame it. It was the fact that Phil's hair was almost the exact same as hers. She laughed, clearly also seeing the similarity. "Thanks, yours is also pretty great," she said.


	2. Chapter 2

(Dan's POV)

Hearing that this was Cally's first day in England, Phil and I insisted on taking the girls out to dinner to celebrate, after removing our makeup of course (wouldn't want to outshine the girls or anything). After much discussion on where to eat, considering many places with authentic British cuisine, we ended up just going for sushi. The fact that Alex is a vegetarian meant she got to choose the restaurant. She was the only one who knew which ones served meat free options.

The longer I spent around Cally and Phil, the more they looked like siblings. Their pale complexions and dark black hair were very similar. If it wasn't for Cally's dark green eyes, I would have insisted that they get DNA tests.

This thought distracted me as I reached for my soy sauce dish. I'm usually a master when it comes to chop sticks, but instead of gracefully dipping the side of my tuna roll in the sauce, it slipped, sending soy sauce all over Cally, who was sitting next to me. I quickly started apologizing, dabbing at her shirt with one of the fancy cloth napkins. Way to make an impression Dan. First you meet her while covered in makeup, spill soy sauce all over her very nice looking shirt, and then you severely invade her personal space. Way to go.

(Cally's POV)

I jumped a bit when I felt the cold liquid splash all over me. This effectively ended my conversation with Alex and Phil. We were trying to explain color theory to him. I secretly found this a little funny, seeing as Alex had some color blindness. Dan was quickly apologizing and dabbing me with a napkin. I started laughing, partially because Dan's franticness was so cute and partially because the dabbing he was trying to do tickled. I kindly pushed him off, repeating "It's fine, really." He handed me the napkin and I started cleaning myself up.

"At least let me pay for dry cleaning. I feel awful," he begged, but I waved him away. "It's fine, really," I insisted. "All my clothes end up with paint on them eventually anyway." This was true. "It's honestly no big deal. I've had this top forever. It's about time it gets messed." What I didn't mention was that my grandma got me this shirt for Christmas, and I hate it. I just haven't wanted to unpack my clothes and this shirt was handy. I looked down at my shirt and shook my head. "You've had it good for too long, you little bastard." Before I could be mortified about how odd that joke would usually seem to anyone but Alex, Dan chuckled.

"Well," said Alex. "I think you now owe her a dessert, sir." I had been eyeing the absolutely unauthentic and westernized looking chocolate lava brownie on the menu earlier. "Wellll," I drawled. "I certainly wouldn't say no."

(Dans POV)

By the end of the night, Cally's formal handshakes turned into good bye hugs. Instead of going to sleep when I slumped down on my bed, I assumed the browsing position on my laptop. This was a nightly routine. Alex's new side channel video popped up in my youtube suggestions. This was called "New Roommate!"

I found myself chuckling at Cally's joke about fan fiction. If I wanted to be a troll, I'd write my own fan fiction about Alex and Cally (Calex?) and send it to her. I was going to click on another video, but Alex's voice stopped me. She mentioned that the link to Cally's virtual art portfolio was in the description.

I clicked the link, expecting to just browse it for a few minutes. By the time I finally fell asleep, a picture of one of her paintings that I was particularly fond of (a dark and twisted brightly colored carnival) was my laptop's screen saver. This may not seem like much, but over the several hours (more hours than I'd like to admit) that I browsed her site, my screensaver changed about ten times.

When I woke up the next morning, I opened my laptop to check my email. I saw my screensaver and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Phil had a haircut, so we headed to the BBC radio station separately to prepare our next radio show. I arrived before Phil, so after saying hi to some of the crew, I plopped down on my favorite bright green couch to check my tumblr. "What was that?" I jumped. What did someone just see on my tumblr? Was there some porn on my dash that I didn't see? I turned to see the radio show producer, Karen. Oh man, I was so fucked.

"Minimize this so I can see your screen saver again," she instructed. I took a second to compose myself and did as she told without asking why. I was just happy she hadn't seen something horrific on my tumblr. "Wow, that's really amazing," she said, sitting next to me. "Who is the artist?" I smiled. "Cally Frost. All of her work is pretty amazing." Karen waved an intern over and instructed him to research Ms. Frost's work. I was about to tell her I actually knew the artist personally, but her phone rang before I could get the words out.

I shrugged, thinking nothing of it.

(Cally's POV)

"So, what's the word on Taylor from the music store you used to work at?" asked Alex. The storefront was really slow today, so were making tea. "Was he devastated when you left?" I rolled my eyes at her. "C'mon, you know I don't date people I work with," I said, blowing on my earl grey. Alex's face filled with mock sadness. "Does that mean I don't have a chance?" she pouted. I laughed and winked at her. "Oh baby, you always have a chance."

I was in the back room painting for a bit while Alex watched the storefront. I was getting to that frustrating and wonderful point in the art process where you just kind of want to smash the canvas against a wall. It's incredibly aggravating, but usually leads to my best works. I finally stood up and sighed. I needed to walk away from this painting for a while or I would go into Hulk mode.

I went back to the storefront to inform Alex that a few of her clay pieces looked dry enough to fire (I don't know much about pottery, but living with a sculptor helped me pick up a few things), and found her busy with her phone. "What's up?" I asked, sitting up on the cashier desk in a very unprofessional manner. There was no one in the shop and it was closing time soon anyway. For fairly well off artists, we didn't a lot of in person customers. We both did a lot of business online.

""Dan and Phil are filming a baking video and wanted to know if we wanted to come hang out with them while they film. I have to get payback for Phil beating me in Mario Kart last time." I shrugged. "Sounds like a youtube thing, are you sure they want me there?" I said, pulling my feet up onto the desk. "Phil specifically said Dan still wants to give you a dessert to apologize," she said, showing me the message. The night Dan spilled soy sauce on me a few weeks ago, he was going to buy me dessert to apologize. By the time I was done with my sushi, I was stuffed and had to turn him down. I smiled. "Count me in."

(Dan's POV)

"The girl's are totally up for it," said Phil, his eyes not leaving his phone screen. "I'm so excited to kick Alex's butt again in Mario Kart."

A few hours later, the girls arrived at our flat. "So, I'm not super used to this youtube thing," said Cally, instead of hello. "What's the protocol."

"Don't be a twat," I said dryly. My brain panicked for less than a second before she just replied "Noted," in an equally flat voice. I was relieved that she understood sarcasm.

The girl's ruined a few takes by making us laugh. They wouldn't stop making faces at us off camera. Alex even started drawing and holding up hilarious and vulgar cartoons to distract us. While the chocolate cake was in the oven, we took a break from filming. "Will you guys stop that?" said Phil, smiling. "That's what you get for inviting us," said Alex. Cally smirked and gave a thumbs up.

After frosting the cake, Phil and I were about to try it on camera before Cally interrupted us. "Hold up," she teased. "I get the first bite. Dan's owed me dessert for weeks." I chuckled and waved her over to be in front of the camera. "I, like the graceful being I am, spilled soy sauce on Cally- oh this is Cally by the way- and now I owe her dessert. She's Alex's roommate. Say hi Alex!" Alex stuck her head in frame and said "Hi!" before the retreating out of shot. "They've been watching us like creepers this whole time," I said, nodding. While I was distracted with talking to the camera, Cally had grabbed my plate and was already eating my piece of cake. "Hey!" I protested, finally noticing. She just gave me a cheshire cat smile and shoved a bite of cake in my mouth. Phil started laughing as Cally went back over by Alex, still carrying the cake. I was a little over dramatic in my shock and just said, "We that will drive the shippers crazy." Cally laughed and said "I'm going to force you to read all the fanfiction!" off camera.


	4. Chapter 4

There was much arguing between Alex and Phil over who got to be Rosalina in Mario Kart. "Come at me Sir Philip!" Alex taunted. "You got to be Rosalina last time!" Phil whined. "Exactly," said Alex. "It's tradition."

Phil and Alex's Mario Kart battle was so intense (Alex won, causing Phil to fake cry), that they ended up falling asleep on each other when we watched a movie together that night. They were snuggling, but there was nothing romantic about it. It was like they were children or puppies. Cally and I had taken to making sarcastic comments at the movie.

"Oh yes, just attack him one by one. Very polite."

"Yeah, that's totally bullet proof."

"Wow, that backstory is completely believable."

"It totally wasn't obvious that she was the villain."

"Hacker voice: we're in," I said in an absurdly deep voice as a building crumbled on screen. She laughed and said "Ok, ok, you win. I surrender." I caught her eye and smiled bashfully. She smiled back looked away to run a hand through her hair. "Well that was incredibly stupid," she said. "Let's do it again some time." I looked at her green eyes and smirked. "Definitely." She stuck her palm out and said "I should probably give you my number so we don't have to communicate through Alex." I handed her my phone and she put her number in. After handing it back, she walked to the other side of the couch and started shaking Alex's shoulder. "Wakey wakey little chicken," she chimmed. She finally managed to get Alex up, and the girls said goodbye to me, letting Phil sleep.

Before turning off the computer and going to sleep, I sent her a message saying 'Just making sure this isn't a phone sex hotline.'

The next morning, I got a reply saying 'Oh, you caught me. The arts are a rough business ;).' I smiled and shook my head.

(Cally's POV)

"What are you smiling at?" asked Alex, her mouth half way full of cereal. I hadn't realized I had been smiling down at my phone like an idiot. "Nothing," I lied, badly. Alex wiggled her eyebrows at me as she chewed more cereal. I had been texting Dan all morning, but falling for him felt like such a cliche. Cliches are never part of my plan. To put it incredibly pretentiously, they don't match my aesthetic. I didn't have time for a relationship anyway. I've had all these new opportunities given to me, and I needed to focus on my career. Besides, I thought Dan might be the kind of person who is just naturally flirty.

I checked my inbox to discover an email from BBC Radio 1. I was confused. "Yo Alex," I said after chugging my tea. "What's BBC Radio 1?" Alex was chewing a big bite cereal, so she put a finger as if to say wait a second. She swallowed and said "It's a popular British radio station. Dan and Phil actually do some work with them." I nodded and opened the email. They were asking if I could send any recent shots of new paintings not in my online portfolio, because they are looking for an artist for their new advertising campaign. I shrugged. Radio stations back in the states weren't really a big deal, so I didn't think much of it. I doubted they could afford my commission fee, but I sent a few pictures any way. Didn't want to burn any bridges.

Later that morning, I got a text from Dan. "Hey, what time are you off today?' I replied with 'I'm my own boss. I'm free whenever,' which really meant I'd just finished a painting and hadn't had a spark of inspiration for a new one yet. My artwork is my boss. It was very rare that I didn't have at least a few unfinished paintings laying around, so he caught me on a good day. He ended up inviting me to go this absolutely bizarre antique shop on the other side of London. I happily agreed. He asked me if he should pick me up or if I'd rather meet him there. Seeing as I am really unfamiliar with London still, I requested that he pick me up.


	5. Chapter 5

(Cally's POV)

"Where ya going?" asked Alex as she watched me straighten my hair. "I'm checking out an antique shop with Dan," I said, trying hard to seem really concentrated on my hair. "Is that who you've been texting?" she asked. I responded by rolling my eyes. "How cheeky," she said before leaving me to get ready on my own.

I caught myself spending way too much time picking out an outfit. I kept repeating 'This is not a date,' over and over again in my head. When I answered the door to see Dan standing there wearing his signature black and smiling in a way that showed off his dimples, a little voice in my head whispered about how much I secretly wanted this to be a date.

On the ride over, I was thoroughly impressed by his music collection. One in particular really surprised me. "Is this War by Swimmers?" I asked as the intro to the song played. His eyes widen and he cracked into a goofy smile. "You've heard of Swimmers?" he asked, surprised. "I love them!" I said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. We went onto gush like fangirls about how much we loved their music. Even though where we were headed was all the way across the city, the ride felt like it took minutes.

(Dan's POV)

Phil and I had discovered this antique shop when we first moved to London. I loved it, but Phil found it a little too dark for his tastes. This wasn't the kind of antique shop that looks like it could be stocked from things at your grandma's house. It had everything from creepy old character masks, racey vintage Vegas memorabilia, ancient surgical tools, to old circus costumes.

We walked through the massive shop together, making up fictional stories to explain the wierdest antiques. We decided the split up and have a contest on who could find the coolest thing. After about 15 minutes, I had found my object. I stared at it thoughtfully, waiting for Cally to find me. After a few minutes, she came by. She stood by me silently, taking in the object. "It's so bold," she said, stroking an invisible beard. "I feel as if it's a metaphor for society," I added. After a few more seconds, we both couldn't hold it in any longer. We started laughing uncontrollably. We had been commenting on a neon sign clearly depicting a giant penis.

Our laughs died down and we looked at each other. Her pale skin didn't hide her blush at all. We began to lean in close to each other and- "I'm afraid we're closing for the night," interrupted the shop owner, a sweet old lady. I'm sure my cheeks turned bright pink as well. Cally looked at her phone. "Wow, it's already 6," she said, sounding surprised. "Thanks for letting us look around your shop, we'll be sure to be back," I said, fishing my car keys out of my pocket.

(Cally's POV)

I laid awake in bed that night, staring at my ceiling. Had I made it all up in my head, or was Dan really about to kiss me. The thoughts in my head were having an all out civil war on the topic. Between all the 'what if' bombs and 'maybe' stabs, I managed to fall asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I groggily checked my email. I had a message from BBC Radio 1. They wanted to meet with me to discuss commissioning me for their aforementioned advertising campaign. My eyes widen at the amount of money they were offering. I must have still been dreaming. I went onto to read the details on what radio shows I would be advertising. One of the list made me stop. Dan and Phils radio show. What? I knew Alex had said Dan and Phil did work with them, but I thought it was every once in a while stuff.

I googled their show, and sure enough. They were BBC Radio 1 regulars. I thought back to my rule about not dating people I work with. "Shit."


	6. Chapter 6

(Dan's POV)

Our radio show was starting in just minutes. We were in the studio when the producer came in. "Alright guys," she said with an excited smile. "We will be having an artist just off camera observing you guys during the show. She's going to be the artist for our new advertising campaign. Just act like she's not there." I nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

We were putting on our headphones as the cameraman counted down when I spied a figure out of the corner of my eye, sitting just out of shot. There was no time to look. We started the show with the usual intro.

When I knew the screen would be showing a video instead of Phil and I, I glanced over at our artistic visitor. I had to do a double take. Sitting there, looking very professional and serious, was Cally. She was glancing up every few seconds as her pen moved fast across the paper. By the look of her sketchbook, she had already filled several pages. As I looked at her, I noticed how focused she looked. She was like a doctor doing open heart surgery.

Her eyes finally locked onto mine. As she stared back, her pen slowed until it wasn't moving at all. I could see her dark green eyes through the bangs that had fallen in her face when she was drawing. It felt like something clicked inside my head. She was so breathtaking.

'_Dan, stop flirting with the artist. You're on in five, four, three,' _said a voice through my headphones. I felt my cheeks turn pink. I broke eye contact with Cally and continued the show.

(Cally's POV)

I snapped out of my day dream when Dan broke eye contact. What had just happened? We had just been looking at eachother, yet it felt so intimate. His brown eyes were so magical, almost rusty red in hue. I wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

No, I commanded myself. I needed to stop that. I was here as a professional. I drew naked people in art school without flinching. I should be able to focus on drawing the fully clothed man in front of me. Wait, there were two people in front of me. I quickly flipped back through my sketches. Fuck, they were all of Dan. I did my best to focus on drawing Phil for the rest of the show.

(Phil's POV)

We had just signed off of the radio for the day. I smiled, feeling like we did a genuinely good job. I turned toward Dan for a high five, but he wasn't looking at me. I followed his gaze and saw Cally of all people. It was as if the two of them were having a super intimate staring contest or something.

Before I could comment on it, our producer, Karen came in, a big smile on her face. "Great show boys. This is Ms. Frost. She'll be the artist for our new advertising campaign." I expected Cally to say that she already knew Dan and I. Instead, she stuck out her hand. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Lester," she said, shaking my hand. "Mr. Howell," she said, moving onto Dan. Their hand shake lingered just a little too long, but I seemed to be the only one who noticed.

"I thought you'd two take her out to dinner so she can get a good idea of your personalities," said Karen, handing me a company credit card. This was my opportunity to be a good wingman. "I'm starting to get a migraine, I'm afraid," I said, handing the card to Dan.

"Go home and get some rest," insisted Karen. She was very motherly for a producer. "I'm sure Dan has plenty of embarrassing stories to tell about you anyway." Dan laughed. "You bet I do."

(Dan's POV)

Cally and I ended up at a little cafe near the radio building. "So," said Cally, shuffling some papers. "Tell me about yourself." I couldn't help it. I started laughing. "Really Cally? We've observed a giant neon penis together." She stared at me for a moment, her eyes wide. She sighed. "Damn it," she said sounding defeated as she rested her head in her hands.

I panicked. What had I done wrong? I waved over a waiter and did the first thing that came to mind. I ordered food to go.

(Cally's POV)

I needed to talk to Dan in private. This means that we ended up at my apartment. I knew Alex would be at the studio late, working on a big custom order. As soon as we arrived, I realized how bad of an idea it had been. I was now alone with Dan. My whole body felt like it was full of electricity.

We sat on my couch for a while, not speaking. He looked thoroughly worried. He started rubbing my back, but I winced, making him stop.

I finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry, I'm being so childish," I began. He didn't speak, just looked at me, puzzled. I broke out into a crazy hysterical laugh. This whole situation seemed so fucked up. He wasn't as started by my laugh as a normal person would have been. Words started exploding from my mouth. "I don't get involved with people I work with, but you Dan, oh you. It's like the universe sent you to tease me. To say look at this beautiful, funny, wonderful person. They kind of seem into you. Oh wait, let's ruin-." He lips met mine, effectively ending my rant. I hungrily kissed him back. I couldn't help it.

We pulled apart, both of us breathless. "Sorry, that was idiotic," said Dan. "It really was," I said, pulling him in for a second kiss.

Before I knew what I was doing, my hands were unbuttoning his shirt. I grabbed his hand, leading him to my bedroom. When did I get so forward? Apparently Dan was feeling very forward as well. He picked me up, set me on the bed, and then got on top of me, biting my neck. God damn it, there went my self control. I reached for my nightstand, pulling a condom out of one of the drawers.

(Dan's POV)

"Holly shit," I said, still mildly out of breathe. What had began as a normal day at the radio station had now turned into Cally and I being naked together on her bed. She snuggled into my chest. "I'll say," she mumbled, sounding sleepy. Somehow, in the time I'd known her, our relationship had gone from handshakes, to hugs, back to handshakes, and then to sex. Didn't seem like the regular order, but that was fine with me. I pulled her closer, letting my eyes close.

(Alex's POV)

I arrived back at the flat late, ready for a nice long shower. I peaked into Cally's room, making sure she got home ok. I found her in bed with Dan, both of them fast asleep. I held in a laugh. Looked like she was better than fine.

A/N: So, this is my first try at writing smut. Love reading it, never tried writing it. What are your guy's opinions? More smut? Less smut? More detailed smut? Please leave me a comment!


	7. Chapter 7

(Dan's POV)

I had forgotten where I was when I woke up the next morning. This caused me to jump a bit when I saw someone next to me. It was just Cally. Memories from last night came rushing back to me. I wasn't in my room. I was in hers. We were both still naked from the night before. Last night. What did last night mean? Were we together? Was it a one time thing? Were we friends with benefits? I had no idea.

I liked the idea of dating her. I really did. I just didn't know if she felt the same way. She seems so career driven and independent. I was sure that she didn't need me or anyone else to validate herself. It was incredibly sexy.

After a few minutes of laying there, her still sleeping form next to me, I decided I wasn't prepared to discuss last night with her yet. I slipped out of bed and found my clothes, careful not to wake her.

I got out of her room without making a sound. I thought I was in the clear as I walked toward the front door.

"Daniel." I stopped in my tracks. I turned around to see Alex sipping a cup of tea at the breakfast bar. Her lips were turned up into a cheshire cat smile. It was like she had been waiting for me. "Have fun last?" she asked casually. I just stared at her blankly. She broke out into a laugh. "Oh man, I really scared you, didn't I." She took a sip of tea, clearly pleased with herself. "So why ya sleeping with my flatmate?" I shrugged and said "I wouldn't care if you slept with my flatmate." She wrinkled her nose. "Gross, Phil is practically my brother." She took another long sip of tea. "Listen Dan, I just wanted to tell you that whether things do or do not work out between you and Cally, I'm Switzerland. You are both consenting adults. Whatever you do or don't do doesn't concern me." I ran a hand through my hand. "Um, thanks, I guess," I said, turning toward the door. "Oh, and Dan," she said, stopping me yet again. "Your shirt is backwards."

(Cally's POV)

I woke up happily and stretched. I had such a good dream. There was Dan, and passion, and it was just great.

I was naked, but that didn't mean anything to me. I slept naked sometimes anyway. I got up and found a tank top and some sweat pants, preparing to go get breakfast. Alex and I were close roommates, but not quite that close.

While searching through the fridge, I found leftovers, my favorite. I sat down at the breakfast bar, not bothering with the microwave. "This tastes so familiar," I mumbled as I ate. "From a cafe I think." I ate a few more bites. "From a cafe with Dan, yesterday." My eyes widened as I remembered last night's events. It wasn't a dream. Crap. What was I suppose to do? Did I dare risk dating him? No, no way. I had my career to worry about. Did I want to date him? I couldn't, wouldn't, let myself answer that.

I finished up my breakfast, but questions wouldn't stop tormenting my mind. What would I say to him? Did he think we were a thing? What would I do if he did? I knew things would be simpler if he just thought it was a one night thing. I knew I should be hoping that's how he felt, but that thought hurt a bit.

I groaned. I needed a relaxing shower.

(Phil's POV)

I was eating cereal when Dan came through the front door. I attempted to wiggle my eyebrows at him. "Last night must have went well," I teased. Dan shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Phil, are you eating my cereal?" he accused. "Don't go changing the subject," I said. Admittedly, I was eating his cereal. Sshhhhhhh. Dan's smile widened. "Ya, last night was pretty great." He came to sit next to me. "Oh man, she's really something. I don't know what it is. We just click." "So, are you official?" I asked. His smile faltered. "I'm not sure."

(Cally's POV)

Dan and I hadn't even texted for about a week. I guess both of us were too awkward or too nervous to break the silence.

Alex and I were in our studio, drinking tea as we both took a break. "So," she began, setting down her oolong. "There's a party tomorrow night at Chris and PJs. You in?" I swirled my earl grey, waiting for it to cool. "Who's that?" I asked. "They're youtubers, Crabsticks and KickthePJ. I'm sure you've seen some of their stuff." I nodded. I had seen a few of their videos. "So a party huh? Is this the part where you offer me drugs?" I asked, getting a laugh out of Alex. "Oh yes," she said. "All the drugs!"


	8. Chapter 8

(Dan's POV)

I was finishing up editing a video when Phil knocked on my door. "Hey, are you ready to go to Chris and Pj's party?" he said, his voice muffled by my closed door. "Of course, just give me second," I called back. In all honesty, I'd completely forgotten about the party. I quickly put on a clean button up shirt, abandoning the old T-shirt I had been wearing. I stopped by the bathroom on my way to meet Phil in the living room to check my hair. By some miracle, it looked fine.

"Dan, stop messing with your hai-" called Phil, cutting out when he saw me coming. "I was afraid you were going to take 90 billion years," said Phil, causing me to roll my eyes. "I only took 50 billion years last time, thank you very much," I said in mock defense.

(Cally's POV)

When Alex and I arrived at Chris and Pj's, I was surprised to see a lack of youtubers. I'd also expected to see vlogging everywhere, but there wasn't a single camera. It was nice. I wasn't the only non-youtuber.

"I'd honestly expected there to be tons of vlogging," I said to Alex. Luckily, the music wasn't so loud that you couldn't chat. She handed me a wine cooler. "There's kind of an unspoken rule between youtubers," she said, taking a swig of her own drink. "No cameras at parties and private events." I started nodding my head, instinctively finding the beat of the music. That made sense.

With a bit of a buzz going, I had no problem meeting new people. I learned so many new names that I was sure I wouldn't be able to remember even half. Everyone was so nice. The apartment was packed with people and energy. I felt totally care free.

Seeing a face across the crowd changed that for me. There was Dan. He was talking to someone, and he hadn't seen me. Crap crap crap. I didn't know he would be here. I had no idea what to say to him. I couldn't just say 'Hey, I really like you and the sex was great, but I can't date you. I have this weird rule with not dating people I work with and we kind of work together.' It sounded crazy and awkward, even in my head.

I needed to get out of site. I searched around the apartment until I found a bedroom blissfully empty of people. I didn't bother turning on the lights, the dark was comforting.

I noticed that the room had a balcony. Perfect, I needed some fresh air. I went out on it. The city lights looked beautiful. There was a slight breeze outside, chilling me a bit. I shivered.

(Dan's POV)

I spied Cally across the room just as she was turning away. I had a bit of liquid courage in me, so I thought it would be a good time to ask her about that night we spent together. I tried to go over to her, I couldn't catch up to her. The flat was packed tight with people, and she was way better at getting past them than I was. I followed her through a hallway and saw her duck into a bedroom. I hesitated a moment before following her into the room. Was she meeting someone in there? I shook my head. I was the only one who had followed her. I was just overthinking. I followed her into the room and saw the balcony door open.

(Cally's POV)

I was staring at the city when a warm hand on my shoulder caused me to jump. I turned to see a smiling Dan. The city lights shined off his hair and eyes, making him look absolutely angelic. Damn it. "What are you running away from? The party is in side silly," he said, running a hand through his hair. I could smell his cologne, reminding me of the night we slept together. I blushed, but I doubt he could tell. My cheeks were already pink from the cold night air. "I just have a bit of a headache," I lied. He walked behind me and started massaging my back. "It's probably from stress," he said. "Does this help?" Wow, he was good at that. An unintentional moan escaped my lips. He chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."

I felt his hands leave my back and wrap around my waist. I turned my head to look at him. I locked onto the sparkling brown eyes. They were the color of morning coffee and just as warm and comforting. One of his hands left my waist and made its way to the side of my face. Next thing I knew, we were kissing. I had one goal for the night; avoid Dan. Now I was making out with him on a balcony over looking the city of London. I failed so badly that it felt like I won.

Pulling away from him was so hard. His lips were soft and comforting. Finally, I managed it. "Dan," I began. "We shouldn't. We work together." He looked surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked. I sighed. "I'd be unprofessional," I said, biting my lip and looking down to avoid eye contact. He put his hand under my chin, gently making me to look up. "We won't be working to working together for long. Your contract with Radio 1 is only for this one campaign, right?" I nodded. "Well," he continued. "I bet we can wait a few months." He was so understanding. I few months was actually five, but the promise that he'd wait those five months was so sweet. I smiled and nodded. I gave him a quick kiss, catching him off guard. He smiled and laughed. "Hey now, I thought we had to wait." I shrugged. "Life is too short. We can just keep us a secret?" I said, as if asking for permission. He gave his permission in the form of another long kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

(Dan's POV)

After that night, I fell fast and hard.

We'd been together 2 months when were at a small cafe. Cally lightly teased me for wearing a douchey looking hat and large sunglasses. I was pretty recognizable, so this is how I dressed when I didn't want to be spotted by my fans. It worked surprisingly well. It was like I was Super Man passing as Clark Kent; ridiculous, yet effective.

She was wearing a large brimmed hat and a black dress, making her look like Audrey Hepburn. She looked picturesque as she laughed with her tea cup up by her face. She looked like she belonged in a 1950s movie while I looked like I belonged at a beer drenched spring break party. We must have looked like such an odd couple, but we didn't care.

"It's such a nice day," she said. I looked around. Her idea of a nice day was overcast and warm. I had to admit their was a certain sense of coziness to it. It was like being a child hiding under their warm covers with a flashlight after bedtime. "I love days like this," she mused. "I love tea," I said, lifting my cup. "I love cake," she said after glancing down at her half eaten dessert. "I love this song," I countered. Good Riddance by Green Day was playing inside the cafe. She pursed her lips for a second before saying "I love cats." "I love you," I said, not really thinking before I said it. I looked at her nervously. Her eyes were wide. Damn it, this all felt like a scene from a cheesy romantic comedy. Even though I meant it, this was not how I wanted to tell her. I wanted to tell her in a pillow fort we would have made while it was pouring rain out. I wanted to tell her when we would both be too stupid to wear sunscreen at the beach and would be red as tomatoes. I wanted to tell her when she would be sick in bed as I took care of her.

I wanted to tell her when most people wouldn't. I wanted to tell her when, under normal circumstances, it would be hard to love someone. This was too easy, too perfect. It didn't feel special. Anyone could think they were in love if they were sitting across from the angelic girl I was with sitting across from. The difference was that I meant it. The similarity was that I had no way to prove it.

Her eyes slowly returned to their normal size and her face morphed into a scarily thoughtful expression.

Without saying a single word, she started leading me through the streets of London at an alarming pace. She held my hand lightly, trusting me to keep pace. We kept twisting and turning in till I couldn't tell which way I would go to get home. The streets kept becoming more and more unfamiliar. I couldn't catch my breath long enough to ask where we were going. I wonder if she would have even answered me.

Eventually, she halted and let go of my hand. I looked around us. We were in the middle of a exotic fish market. It smelled awful. It was crowded. I was surrounded by people speaking languages I didn't understand. It was unsettling. Suddenly I realized why she brought me here.

"Do you still love me here?" she asked, staring me straight in the eyes. I nodded, moving closer to her. "Yes, of course I love you. I absolutely love you." I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her. Her hands wrapped around my neck, kissing me back. When we finally pulled apart, she whispered "I love you too."

(Cally's POV)

I stretched, feeling Dan sleeping next to me. I was used to getting up before him. Ever since we had said 'I love you' three weeks ago, I'd been spending almost every night at Dan's apartment. Alex had been going out more way more than usual and barely noticed I was gone. Our apartment had been sitting empty a lot lately.

I went to the living room to grab my laptop without waking Dan up. I groggily check my email and spied an email from BBC Radio 1. I was used to getting emails from them by now. At a glance, it appeared to just be regular business stuff. I woke up slowly as I read. They liked my work so much that they wanted me to be a permanent part of their advertising team. At first, my brain registered the email as good news. This was incredible. This would give me a concrete position in the British art scene.

Then I remembered the sleeping boy in the other room. The person I loved, the person I would permanently be working with.

Shit.


End file.
